The widow of a man who died of a Legionella infection following a holiday in Malta has summoned short-let company Airbnb to come forward and settle damages in Malta.

The woman intends to sue the company over her husband’s untimely death if the issue remains unresolved.

According to the judicial correspondence filed by lawyer Peter Fenech on behalf of the family, 45-year-old Paul Bermingham died in the UK on January 14, 2016, from Legionella Pneumonia.

His death certificate determined the disease was contracted from contaminated jacuzzi water, the lawyer said.

The family, including Paul’s wife Sandra and their two children, aged 10 and 12 at the time, had been staying at a Gozo farmhouse they rented over Airbnb between December 24, 2015 and January 2, 2016. The property had a jacuzzi on the premises.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Fenech said the Bermingham family was seeking to hold the holiday rental giant responsible for the man’s death and turning what should have been a memorable Christmas holiday for the family into a painful tragedy.

“We are seeking damages in this case because Airbnb markets these properties as safe for people to rent and enjoy without ensuring that certain standards are being met,” Fenech said.

“Then when things go horribly wrong, they refuse to take responsibility.”

While Fenech did not disclose how much the family are seeking in damages, he said they are also planning to take the owners of the property to court over the death.

Authorities refused to provide water test results

Fenech said he was disappointed by the lack of cooperation from local authorities who refused to forward them the results of tests that had been carried out on the jacuzzi water on site, citing data protection.

Writing on a public crowdfunding campaign where she is raising money to pay for the ongoing legal battle, Sandra Bermingham recounted how her husband’s death had forced her to move back to her native New Zealand.

She described the process of trying to seek justice as nightmarish.

“On January 14, 2016 my husband Paul Bermingham and father of my two children died of a legionella infection acquired in an infected jacuzzi pool belonging to the apartment rented by Airbnb in Malta.

“According to his death certificate, the cause of his death was Legionella Pneumonia sourced from the contaminated jacuzzi water,” she wrote.

“Ever since that day I have been fighting against the megacompany Airbnb and its big law firms for compensation since Airbnb is denying any liability. I did send several letters but Airbnb’s lawyers are telling me that although I paid Airbnb to rent the house with the jacuzzi, they are not responsible. The whole process is a nightmare.”

She claims that Airbnb never investigated the incident and never offered any support to the family.

The impact of her husband’s death had left her and her children destitute.

“Since Paul’s death, due to psychological suffering, I was unable to work, lost all our income and savings and as a result of this, I had to leave the United Kingdom with my children to go back to New Zealand where I come from, where I ended up living in a woman’s refuge,” Sandra said.

Airbnb provides short-term rentals in over 220 countries and regions. Photo: Shutterstock

“I want the world to know how Airbnb works, making tons of money off our backs and waiving any responsibility when things go terribly wrong in the houses they earn their billions with.”

Questions have been sent to Airbnb’s legal representative on this case but there were no replies by the time of publication.